The Next Greatest Generation: Tom Brokaw Urges Coca-Cola Scholars to Give Back

'You can help change the course of our country… by
making an early commitment, beginning tonight, that an unalloyed and continuing
part of your life will be public service,' Brokaw told the Coca-Cola Scholars, who will start college this fall.

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Brokaw moderated a conversation about education, global development and
the global advancement of women with Coca-Cola Scholar alumni Jamie Lathan (1996), a history teacher at the North Carolina School
of Science and Math in Durham, N.C.; Kate Sullivan (1994), an Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of CBS 2
Chicago News at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and Ryan McCannell (1989), division
chief for conflict, peacebuilding and governance in the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) Bureau for Africa.

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'It will do us little good to tweet, text, e-mail or
wire the world if we short-circuit our souls,' Brokaw said. 'We must use technology
wisely to advance the common good, as well.'

The 2013 class of Coca-Cola Scholars. These 252 socially conscious, service-oriented leaders represent 244 high schools from 46 U.S. states and a
U.S. Department of Defense school in Germany.

(Photo Credit: )

Award-winning journalist Tom Brokaw addressed the 25th
class of Coca-Cola
Scholars – 252 high school seniors who share a commitment to
leadership through service – with a call to action to start college not just as
freshmen, but as full-fledged citizens.

“You can help change the course of our country… by
making an early commitment, beginning tonight, that an unalloyed and continuing
part of your life will be public service,” Brokaw said during keynote remarks
at the annual Coca-Cola Scholars banquet in Atlanta on April 18.

One of the foremost observers and chroniclers of the modern era, Brokaw’s storied career with NBC included stints as White House correspondent,
host of both The Today Show and Meet the Press, and 20 years as managing
editor and anchor of NBC Nightly News.
The author of The Greatest Generation
and The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation
About America said he has never seen the nation’s political landscape more
fractured in his nearly 50 years in journalism.

“We need your help, beginning now,” he told the
scholars, who represent 244 high schools in 46 U.S. states and a
U.S. Department of Defense school in Germany. “We not only need
to find common ground; the challenge of the 21st century is to find higher ground in America. And one way
you can do so is to leave here with a personal commitment that for the rest of
your life, in one form or another, you’ll find a way to give back to your
country.”

Founded in 1986 to mark the centennial
anniversary of Coca-Cola, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has since awarded more
than 5,250 scholarships valued at more than $51 million. A total of 50 national
scholars each receive a $20,000 scholarship each year, and 200 regional scholars
receive a $10,000 scholarship. Two additional $20,000 scholarships are awarded
by the foundation.

“The choice that Coca-Cola made in giving you this
scholarship was not just about academics alone; it was about your central
character,” Brokaw said. “And it is that essential character that we’re all
counting on to help us make America preeminent again – not just in the world,
but here at home.”

Brokaw, a passionate advocate for helping military veterans
find jobs and re-integrate into civilian life upon returning home, reminded the
budding leaders that as they leave for college, other young men and women their
age are fighting the two longest wars in U.S. history. He urged them to find a
way to help these unsung heroes realize the American dream.

“And that American dream, in your hands, can become
not just about having more cars, larger houses and fancier vacations,” he said.
“It can be about improving the quality of life for all future generations and
making us a more just and tolerant society… and using the extraordinary skills
you have to advance not just your personal interests, but the interests of your
community, state and nation.”

The
Century of Women

Watching the diverse group of students walk across
the stage stood in stark contrast to Brokaw’s days growing up in Yankton, South
Dakota. Back then, the young men would have outnumbered the young women by a
ratio of five to one, he said.

The strides women have made over the last 25 to 30
years are remarkable, Brokaw added, noting that leaders such as Xerox’s Ursula
Burns and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg are among the most powerful executives in
business, and that more than half of the country’s medical school and law
school students are female.

“This is going to be the century of women taking
their place beside men in every aspect of society,” he said. “And thank God for
that, because we need everyone in the arena making a contribution to who we
want to become. And what we want to become is an increasingly tolerant society;
one that is able to work together to find common cause.”

‘Use
the Pause Button’

Brokaw, 73, also tackled technology during his
remarks, cautioning the students to “be prepared to use the pause button” and
to not let social media replace personal relationships. He challenged
the tech-savvy group to use the latest, greatest tools to tackle the world’s
pressing challenges.

“It will do us little good to tweet, text, e-mail or
wire the world if we short-circuit our souls,” he said. “We must use technology
wisely to advance the common good, as well.”